Small Business Information

Perfecting Your Pitch


Why should you describe your business to others in 5 to 10 seconds?

How long do you think you have to get anyone's attention? 5 minutes? 2 minutes? 30 seconds? It is actually 10 seconds. I know it does not seem like a long period of time but you will be amazed what you can say in 10 seconds. It is enough time to put your foot in your mouth and then try to get it out again, and it is also enough to tell someone your expertise and have them smiling and wanting to converse about it. Of course, I would suggest that you try and put together the pitch so that you can converse about it.

First of all, you need to gain the interest of the prospect you are talking with, and then you also want them to be your next client and buy from you. Is it that difficult to put forward your best foot and get them interested? Of course not! Start by simplifying your message, write down your core competencies, then describe it to the customer. Keep the customer in mind. Ask yourself, why would they want to buy from you? Then tell them why! Put on your customers shoes and see what is in it for them.

This can all be accomplished in just a few seconds - they may even have time to respond to you. Just make sure that you know what you are talking about. There is nothing worse than putting you foot forward and tripping over your tongue. We will deal with how to practice in a later section of the book. Now just follow the simple rules:

Define your core competency.

Describe that competency in layman's terms.

Put it in writing and see how long it takes to say.

Have you ever watched another person practice their pitch? Not likely! Most people do not practice, they prefer to wing it and see what happens. If you take the time to memorize the pitch and make it a part of you and what you do, you will likely win more customers. You need to pull out that mirror and get the camera rolling to see what you look like and how you can make improvements. In this next section, we will give you some ideas on how to practice your pitch.

Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people's attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the "Networking Queen". Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Q2 Small Business Research Board Transportation Industry Key ...
FOXBusiness - 1 hour ago
The Small Business Research Board currently reports that its Transportation Industry Small Business Confidence Index (T-SBCI) is set at 26.33, a decrease of ...


Thaindian.com

Five Things You Might Not Know About Obama's Small Business Tax Hikes
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
Two-thirds of small business profits are earned in households making more than $250000 per year -- the very households Obama is shouting from the rooftops ...
Small Business v. Small Business Income Atlantic Online
The small business owner's guide to the presidential election Milwaukee Business Journal
What he stands for Victorville Daily Press
Wall Street Journal Blogs - Forbes
all 551 news articles


Microsoft Launches Small Business Server 2008 in Sacramento
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
FOLSOM, Calif., Oct 15, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Microsoft announces the launch of its next generation server for small business, Small Business ...


The 2008 Small-Business Survival Guide
TheStreet.com - 7 hours ago
My fellow small-business owners, we may be battered, we may be bruised, we may be scared out of our minds. But at least we are still in the game. ...


Cbeyond Launches Small Business Services in South Florida
MarketWatch - 6 hours ago
"With South Florida's large entrepreneurial community, we are excited to grow our presence and deliver services that will benefit the local small business ...


Telegraph.co.uk

A Bailout for Small Business?
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 3 hours ago
Yesterday the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. announced that it will take the biggest step any part of the federal government has taken to "bail out" small ...
Massive bailout plan won't work overnight MSNBC
Government might use $2 trillion to back up banks MiamiHerald.com
Just Get This! OpEdNews
RTT News - BankInvestmentConsultant.com
all 813 news articles


Report Shows Small Business Owners Losing Confidence in Social ...
Earthtimes (press release), UK - 4 hours ago
"It's clear small business owners have concerns over Social Security and how much they'll have when they reach retirement age," said Stuart Robertson ...


Government should take stakes in small business, says Admiral chief
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 15 hours ago
GOVERNMENT should extend its investment into the private sector beyond banks and into start-ups and small businesses, Admiral boss Henry Engelhardt said ...


Symposium for small business Thursday in Pasco
Mid Columbia Tri City Herald, WA - 7 hours ago
By the Herald staff Business experts will share tips with small-business owners on bidding for government contracts at the Bridging Partnerships Small ...


SBA launches Small Biz Hotline
Bizjournals.com, NC - 3 hours ago
Small business owners now have no farther to go than their telephone to get the answers they seek. In a statement released Tuesday, the New Mexico district ...
McCain Would End Federal Programs for Middle Class Firms MarketWatch
The CNY Small Biz Project Adds SBA New Alerts to Website PR.com (press release)
SBA pilot helps struggling firms Sacramento Business Journal
Bizjournals.com - Bizjournals.com
all 60 news articles

Small-Business - Google News

Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating
© 2006